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Tomato farmers staged a protest in Nepal on Wednesday, accusing the government of failing to provide adequate support as falling prices left them struggling to recover production costs.
Speaking to ANI, a protester, Akash Karki expressed dissatisfaction over the prices being offered for tomatoes, saying farmers were not receiving fair returns for their produce. Another protester, Deepak, alleged that middlemen were disrupting the sale of tomatoes and urged the government to improve support mechanisms to ensure farmers receive fair prices. A protester said that tomato prices had declined sharply since the new government took office, adding that the trust of workers and farmers in the government had been "shattered." Another protester told ANI that while political parties had promised to prioritise the welfare of poor people and farmers before the elections, the government had failed to address the issues facing the farming community. Meanwhile, The Kathmandu Post reported that the protests were triggered by allegations that the government had failed to provide adequate subsidies while continuing import-oriented policies. Citing the Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market Development Board's daily price bulletin issued on Wednesday, the newspaper reported that the wholesale price of small tomatoes ranged between Nepali Rs 8 and Rs 12 per kg, with an average price of Rs 9.5 per kg. According to the report, tomatoes grown using tunnel farming technology fetched an average wholesale price of Rs 14.6 per kg, while locally produced tomatoes were sold at an average wholesale price of Rs 38.75 per kg. (ANI)
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